Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-27
IN A MONSTERS EMBRACE.
Sensation. Of o Man Who Gets Into the
CIntchrs Of a Devil Fish.

1--WE were lying about half mile off
the beach at the Barbados, OVerhauling
the standing rigging, said James ellis,
able seaman, when the mate ordered
John Webb, an apprentice boy, and my
self into the yawl, which had been COW
cred and brought around TO the port side,
that some painting might be done just
abaft the mainmast. Ii was terribly hot
day, with the water very warm and the
| men having little energy. The paint was
lowered down 10 us, and while used the
brush the boy held the yawl in position.
We had been Mt work for about a quarter
Of an hour when the hoy suddenly yelled
out in alright, and as turned To him he
declared that he had seen horrible look
ing object pass under the boat, and 50 on
under the ship.
There are plenty Of strange creatures
floating about in those waters, and patch
Of sesweed will sometimes assume q queer
shape laughed at the boys fears. Dut
ut the same time saw how pale and fright
ened he looked.
What's wanted below there" called
the mate as ne leaned over the rail, having
heard Webb's cry Of alarm.
"'I-I saw something 60 under the boat,
sir
"'Oh, you did. Well, if you bawl out
again you'll feel something go under your
jacket
Il began work again, and had been at it
only three or four minutes when the yawl
heaved away from the ship two or three
feet, and az the same instant the boy
screamed out again. His voice had scarcely
reached my ears when something flashed
before my eyes, something caught my arm
Il.l {, ,,,I 10 faG 80
my body, and in five seconds more knew
what had happened. A devil fish had
flung one Of his arms about me. Webb
was screaming at the top Of his voice, and
as got look at him | saw that two Of
the beasts feelers were clutching him.
The arm or feeler which had reached me
pinned my arm to my side as il in wise,
making a clean wrap around my body and
the extreme end OF the feeler crept up
along my neck and face. Talk of pain;
never felt anything like it. The teeth Of q
bulldog couldn't have hurt worse. 1t was
a burning, biting, blistering sensation, rs
il live coal had been laid on the flesh.
added my yells to those Of Webb, but be
fore any one came to the rail l was jerked
to my knees in the boat and saw that the
creatures object was TO pull me over
oouu. hcodu thc IVY ~ NO"h all
thrash about, and then three OF the men
came 10 our assistance.
The devil fish had outwitted himself.
He had gone under the ship and fastened
to her bottom or keel and as soon as he
began pulling on Us ne of course pulled
the yawl close against the ships side.
That closed the gap, and he could not pull
us overheard, although / think he would
have upset the yawl, for We were both
down on her starboard side and she was
almost on her beam els when the men
jumped down. They began TO cut and
slash and hack with their knives, and after
two or three minutes they had us free
not of the arms, but Of the creature. We
were hoisted on board howlinl and grosn-
ing with the feelers still bitiT :, and they
had to be cut from us almost by inches
Web got il far worse than | did, as he
wore a thin cotton shirt and was bare
footed. He was bitten on one foot, both
hands and across the breast, and it was q
long two weeks before he was on deck
again, his face swelled up until one eye
was closed, and the poison made me ill for
many days. Wherever one Of the cups or
suckers took hold the skin was entirely
taken of, and it seemed as if pins had
been stuck in the raw flesh. native
doctor brought me some herbs Of which to
make poultice: and. though that relieved
the pain and helped me TO get around
again, it was months before my face was
entirely well. New York Sun.